ANDY Coulson and former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks will go to court to face charges over 'making payments to public officials.'

Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks to be charged over 'corrupt payments' []

The former spin doctor and former Sun Editor join four others to face action as part of Operation Elveden into alleged corrupt payments to public officials.

Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), said: "All of these matters were considered carefully in accordance with the DPP's guidelines on the public interest in cases affecting the media.

"This guidance asks prosecutors to consider whether the public interest served by the conduct in question outweighs the overall criminality before bringing criminal proceedings."

The five include Brooks, Coulson, News of the World royal correspondent Clive Goodman, John Kay and Bettina Jordan-Barber and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Coulson and Goodman are charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office - one between August 31 2002 and January 31 2003, and the other between January 31 and June 3 2005.

Brooks, Kay and Jordan-Barber face one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office between January 1 2004 and January 31 2012.

Coulson pledged to fight the allegations that he is facing, he said: "I am extremely disappointed by this latest CPS decision. I deny the allegations made against me and will fight the charges in court."

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